Electrical



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

R. P. MQPEELY 8; H. V. POTTER.

ELECTRICAL APPLIANCE POE STOPPING AND STARTING ELEVATORE.

Patented PI 12. 1889.

N. PLTERS. Phem-Ldhcgnphur, Washmgfinn. D C.

(No Model.) s sheets-sheet 2.

P P. MGPEELY 82; H, V. POTTER. ELEGTRIGAL APPLIANCE FOB STOPPING ANDSTARTING ELEVATORS.

No 899,341. Patented Mar. 12-, 1889.

FWWA/Z'XW 2' Fly. 7

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W WWW 58%: mmkwsz QAX A (No Model.) 7 3 Sheets Sheet 3.

R. P. MoPEELY & H. V. POTTER.

ELEOTRIGAL APPLIANCE POE STOPPING AND STARTING ELEVATORS.

No. 399,341 Patented Mar. 12, 1889.,

N. PETERS PhuXo-lflhugmphin WasIImgwrL D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RONALD F. MCFEELY AND HENRY V. POTTER, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRICAL APPLIANCE FOR STOPPING AND STARTING ELEVATORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 399,841, dated March12, 1889. Application filed December 12, 1887. Serial No. 257,711. (Nomoclehl To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, RONALD F. MCFEELY and HENRY V. POTTER, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny andState of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful ElectricalAppliances for Stopping and Starting Elevators; and we do hereby declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itpertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

Our invention relates to a device for controlling the starting andstopping of elevators by means of electricity applied to the valvesgoverning the motive power; and with this end in view our inventionconsists in certain details of construction and combination of parts, aswill be fully set forth hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of one of thevertical guides such as are in common use in all elevators, 1 havingattached thereto several metallic c011- tact-strips arranged at asuitable position at each of the several landings. Fig. 2 is asideelevation of the opposite vertical guide of the elevator, having securedthereto on its inner side two continuous parallel strips extending thefull length of the movement of the elevator-carriage. Fig. 3 is a frontelevation of the switch and switch-board used in connection with ourinvention. Fig. 4 is a side view of the same. Fig. 5 is a plan view ofthe switchboard, showing the manner in which a sure contact is made withany one of the several switches. Fig. 6 is a rear elevation of the same,showing the several attachments made with the brushes secured to oneside of the elevator-car. Fig. 7 is a diagram of a modification of ourinvention, in which are shown a separate metallic strip for eachlanding, having a break opposite the same, in place of the shortmetallic strips indicated in a previous figure; The breaks or spaces inthese strips are to break the circuit at each landing instead of closingthe same. Two continuous strips are placed on either side of thelanding-strips and the whole series connected by l short wires at thetop and base. The remaim ing parts shown on the drawings aresubstantially the same as those previously referred to. Fig. 8 is adiagrammatic view illustrating the arrangement of the severalcontactstrips, the switchboard, and the circuits.

To put our invention into practice with an elevator, we attach to theinner side of one of the vertical guides, Z), two parallel metallicstrips, 0 and 0, extending the entire length of the lllOVGlllGlll'. ofthe elevator-car d. To the inner side of the opposite guide, a, weattach a series of short metallic strips, 6, arranged the one above theother, representing the several landings of the elevator. Thesecontactstrips c are so placed as to be out of line with each other, andconnected the one with the next above by a suitable insulated wire, f.

Attached to the side of the elevator-car (Z, next the continuous strips,is a switch-board, g, and two spring-brushes, 71' and 7a, which are inconstant contact with the two continuous strips 0 and c. To the oppositeside of the elevator-car (Z are secured several springbrushcs 2 each soarranged as to insure a contact with but one of the contact-strips esecured to the guide a when the aforesaid brushes 1' are directlyopposite.- to the same. Attached to these brushes i, by short wires j,is a switch-board which carries a movable switch, which will be fullydescribed hereinafter. The short contact-strip c at the foot of thevertical guide a we connect with two suitable magnets, is and is,properly adjusted and set to operate the valve for controlling themotive power, the connection being made with insulated wires Z and Z Thelower extremities of the two continuous strips 0 and c are connected byinsulated wires m and m to the same magnets 71', and It, thus completing the circuit.

Occupying a proper position in the elevatorcar (Z is a switch-boardconsisting of 'a plate of hard rubber, 11, having secured to the upperpart of its front face a series of metallic blocks, 0, arranged in anarc of a circle, each having a V-shaped groove formed in the face ofthesame. Secured to this hard-rubber plate n is a hinged switch-lever, p,capable of moving backward, forward, and sidewise by means of a hingedjoint, q, and a loose shaft 0', to which. the switch-lever p is secured.A short flat spring, o properly arranged at the base of the switch-lever13, serves to retain the same in close contact with the metallic blocks0 unless otherwise disturbed. The top portion of this switch-lever p istriangular in shape, corresponding in form and size to the V-shapedgrooves in the blocks 0. Each of these blocks 0 are separately connectedby a binding-post, s, and short insulated wires to one of the severalmetallic brushes t, attached to the side of the elevator-car d, whichinsures a separate connection with each and every landing-strip 6 whenthe car (I is opposite the same. At the base, on the reverse side ofthis hard-rubber plate '72, is attached to the projecting end of theshaft r a contact-arm, '1, of the switch which, when in a verticalposition, stands between two metallic contact-pieces, u and a, securedto the plate n on either side of the contact-arm I. These twovcontactpieces to and u are connected to the two continuous strips 0 and0, representing the upand-down movement of the car d. Between the platen and the base of the lever t is a shortspiral spring, 1', whichpressing against the lever '6 will cause the same to revolve at the sametime and in a like direction as the lever 19 on the opposite side of theplate 01.

In Figs. 7 and 8 of the drawings, we have illustrated a series of brokencontact-strips e, which, if desired, can be used in lieu of thecorresponding contact-plates c, spaced at suitable intervals on theguide a opposite the several landings or floors. These contact-strips care arranged parallel with each other at suitable intervals apart, toadapt one of the series of brushes to ride against each strip; and thestrips have breaks therein opposite the several landings or floors tointerrupt the contact of the brushes '5 with the strips, and thus breakthe circuit, the appliance working under a normally-closed circuit whenthe strips 6 with the breaks therein are used as in Figs. 7 and S, andunder a normally-open circuit when the spaced plates 6 shown in Fig. 1are employed. Only one of the breaks is made in each strip 6, and thebreaks of the series of strips are located at different elevations,opposite the several landings or floors as, for instance, the break 1 inthe first of the series of strips c designates the first landing, thebreak 2 in the second strip the second landing, &c.

I11 Figs. 7 and S of the drawings we have illustratedthe severalinterrupted contact-- strips 6 connected in circuit with each other andthe battery at their upper and lower eX- 'tremities by wires orconductors, 00; but in Fig. 8 the lower extremities only of said strips8 are connected by a short horizontal strip, f, and the ends of eachstrip opposite the break therein are connected by short intermediatewires, y. The object of these wires y is to connect the two parts of thestrip and energiz'e each strip (the two parts thereof) throughout itsentire length when it is included in circuit with the battery and strips0 0' through the switch-board, as is obvious.

For convenience we will first describe the operation of our invention inconnection with Fig. 8 of the drawings, which is a complete diagrammaticview of the system, including the switch, the switch-board, and theseveral contacts and brushes therefor. \Vhen the elevator-car is at restat the bottom of the shaft or the first landing, designated at 1, theswitch p should contact with the contactblock No. 1 of the switch-board,and the contact between brush 1. and the first of the series of strips 6will be interrupted or broken by the break 1,which thus breaks thecircuit. If itis desired to ascend to the fourth landing, designated bythe numeral 4:, the switch p is turned by hand on its pivot to contactwith the block No. a on the switclnboard, which movement of the switchbrings the arm! of the latter in contact with the contact-post u on. theswitch-board and thereby completes a circuit from the battery .9 throughthe connecting-strip f at the base of the fourth contactstrip 6 throughthe fourth of the series of brushes i to the block 0, numbered at,against which the switch p presses through said switch and the, shaft 1'thereof to the contact-post a, the wire 20, the brush 72., one of thecontinuous strips 0 or c, the magnet Ir, and thence back to the battery3, as is obvious. by the current from the battery, the valve is opened,which causes the car to ascend until it reaches the fourth or desiredlanding, at which timethe contact between the fourth brush i and thecorresponding strip 6 is broken or interrupted by the break 4, thusbreaking the circuit and demagnetizing the magnet to release the valve,which automatically closes and stops the car. If it is desired to de-.scend from this landing (No. 4) to the adjoining fioor below or otherpoint, the switch p is reversed to bring it into contact with thedesired block 0, which causes the arm tof said switch to come intocontact with the post a and establishes another circuit through thesecond or other strip 6, through the brush a, pressing against saidsecond strip 6, the wire j, to the second contact-block, 0, numbered 2,

the lever p, and the post it, the wire 10', the strip a, the magnet 1;,and thence baekto the battery. The magnets again open the valve and thecar descends to the desired landing, where it is arrested by reason ofthe breaking of the cont-act between the second brush 2' with the secondcontact-strip.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. l of the drawings the desired one ofthe series of brushes is arranged to come into contact with the propercontact-plate e to close the circuit between the battery and the brush,the devices operated in the same manner as heretofore described. It willof coursebe understood that the eontact of 'the brush with one hen thesemagnets are energized.

of the plates 6 serves to close the circuit and to stop the elevator-carat the desired landing.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. In an electric elevator, the combination of the continuouscontact-strips connected in circuit with Valve-controlling magnets, thespaced broken contact-strips, a switch-board carried by the elevator-caran d havingbru sh es normally bearing against said continuous strips, aseries of brushes adapted to contact with the spaced broken strips, anda switch movably mounted on the switch-board, substantially as and forthe purpose described.

2. The combination of the continuous metallic contact-strips connectedin circuit with valve-controllin g magnets, a switch-board carried by anelevator-car and normally in contact with said continuous strips, theinter rupted contact-strips also connected in circuit with said magnets,and a switch for reversing the current through either of the continuousstrips and magnets, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the continuous contact-strips, valvecontrollingmagnets connected in circuit with said strips, a switchboard having twocontact-posts, n u, brushes normally bearing on said continuous stripsand connected with said posts, and a switch adapted to be moved intocontact with either post, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

et. The combination of the continuous contact-strips, a switch-boardhaving brushes normally pressing against the continuous strips, theinterrupted spaced contact-strips, a series of brushes each adapted tocontact with one of the series of interrupted strips, and a switch,substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. The combination of the series of interrupted spaced contact-strips c,connected in circuit with one another and havingthe breaks therein, aswitch-board having a series of contacts, 0, a series of brushes, 1',each adapted to contact with one of the series of interrupted strips andconnected with the contacts 0, and a switch, substantially as described.

U. The combination of a switch-board having a series of contacts, 0, andthe contactposts it u, a switch pivotally mounted on said i board andcapable of lateral movement there- I on to adjust its free end againsteither of the 1 contacts 0 and the posts "a or a, a series of brushes,72, connected with the posts, the continuous and interrupted strips 0,c, and e, and 5 the valve-controlling magnets, substantially asdescribed.

l RON-ALI) F. MCFEELY.

HENRY V. POTTER.

Witnesses:

M. E. HARRISON, i M. F. HENON.

